1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for acquiring 3-dimensional (3D) information, a method for driving a light source thereof, and a system for acquiring 3D information, and more particularly, to an apparatus for acquiring 3D information using a structured-light method, a method for driving a light source thereof, and a system for acquiring 3D information.
2. Description of the Related Art
3-dimensional (3D) image technology is applied in various fields such as information communication, broadcasting, medical care, education and training, the military, games, animations, virtual reality, computer-aided design (CAD), industrial technology, etc. 3D image technology is regarded as core technology of next-generation 3D multimedia information communication which is commonly required in these various fields.
In general, a 3D effect perceived by a human is generated by compound actions of a thickness change degree of a lens caused by changes in a position of an object which is to be observed, an angle difference between both eyes and the object, differences in a position and a shape of the object seen by left and right eyes, a disparity caused by a motion of the object, and other various psychological and memory effects, etc.
Among the above-described factors, a binocular disparity occurring due to a horizontal distance from about 6 cm to about 7 cm between left and right eyes of a human is regarded as the most important factor of the 3D effect. In other words, the human sees an object with angle differences due to a binocular disparity, and images entering the left and right eyes are actually different due to the angle differences. When the two different images are transmitted to the brain of the human, the brain accurately unites information of the two different images so that the human feels an original 3D image.
In order to generate such a 3D image, a stereovision method using several cameras, a method of scanning a laser light source on a surface of an object, a structured-light method of radiating a structured image onto an object and capturing the object to acquire 3D information, or the like is used. In particular, according to the structured-light method, structured-light having a light amount enough to cope with brightness of ambient light is required to be radiated onto an object.